Remote control switching device

ABSTRACT

A remote control switching device for the remote control of lighting or power circuits. The device includes a portable electric cord terminating in a plug at one end and a toggle switch assembly at the other end, together with a wall mountable assembly which may contain a conventional electrical outlet or toggle switch or both, together with a special socket to mate with the plug of the end of the portable cord. The contact members of the socket are formed in pairs of contacts each contact of which may be wired to form a series circuit with an electrical supply line connected to the conventional outlet or toggle switch lead of the wall mountable assembly, with each pair of said contacts being engaged together to complete said series circuit, except when a prong of the mating plug of the portable cord engages said pair of contacts. The plug prong is coated on one side with an insulator so that the series switching circuit is only completed, with the plug mated in the socket by the throwing of a toggle switch of the portable electric cord.

United States Patent [1 1 Lopsadhayoodh Prasert Dec. 23, 1975 1 REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHING DEVICE Lopsadhayoodh Prasert, Bangkok, Thailand [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: Nov. 4, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 520,329

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl..... 200/51 LM; ZOO/51.05; 200/153 M; 307/114 [51] Int. Cl. HOIR 13/70 [58] Field of Search 307/114; 200/51 LM, 51.05, 200/51.06,153 M, 51.1, 61.19

Primary Examiner-David Smith, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard I. Podell [57] ABSTRACT A remote control switching device for the remote control of lighting or power circuits. The device includes a portable electric cord terminating in a plug at one end and a toggle switch assembly at the other end, together with a wall mountable assembly which may contain a conventional electrical outlet or toggle switch or both, together with a special socket to mate with the plug of the end of the portable cord. The contact members of the socket are formed in pairs of contacts each contact of which may be wired to form a series circuit with an electrical supply line connected to the conventional outlet or toggle switch lead of the wall mountable assembly, with each pair of said contacts being engaged together to complete said series circuit, except when a prong of the mating plug of the portable cord engages said pair of contacts. The

plug prong is coated on one side with an insulator so that the series switching circuit is only completed, with the plug mated in the socket by the throwing of a toggle switch of the portable electric cord.

4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 3,928,737

REMOTE CONTROL SWITCHING DEVICE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION bly which'may contain a conventional electrical outlet or toggle switch or both, together with a special socket to. mate with the plug of the end of the portable cord. The contact membersof the socket are formed in pairs of contacts each contact of which may be wired to form a series circuit with an electrical supply lineconnected to the conventional outlet or toggle switch lead of the wall mountable assembly, with each pair of said contacts being engaged together to complete said series circuit, except when a prong of the mating plug of the portable cord engages said pair of contacts. The plug prong is coated on one side with an insulator so that the series switching circuit is only completed, with the plug mated in the socket by the throwing of a toggle switch of the portable electric cord.

These units may be of great advantage in class-room, conference room, auditorium, or any place where room lights and projector equipment are to be controlled by remote switches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a remote switch controlled electrical outlet socket;

FIG. 2 is plan view of a remote switch unit and connector plug;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a connector plug;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a connector plug;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the contacts of a connector socket;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a connector socket; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a remote switch controlled electrical wall switch socket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates an electrical outlet box 10 with two conventional female outlet receptacles 11 and 12, each of which is connected to a feemale contact of a female socket l3 and a wire of the external power supply cable 15.

Female socket 13 incorporates three electrical contacts 21, 22 and 23 each of a distinctive shape so that engagement may only be made in the proper polarized manner by the distinctive mating contacts 31, 32 and 33 of male electrical plug 30.

The contacts 31, 32 and 33 of plug 30 are connected by flexible cable 35, as shown in FIG. 2 to a hand switch box 36 at the end of cable 35 with switches 37 and 38 in box 36 such that when plug 30 is engaged in socket 13, switch 37 controls the power supply from electrical line 14 to outlet 12, and switch 38 controls the power supply of line 14 to outlet 11 of outlet box 10. A slide projector cable may be plugged into outlet 11 and the plug of a light fixture supply cord may be plugged into outlet 12 so that operation of switches 37 and 38 will control the lights of the fixture and of the slide projector independently at a remote location from either the slide projector or light fixture.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the plug 30 is fitted with three projecting contacts, one of which, 30, is cylindrical in shape. The other two contacts 32 and 33 are flat members with one side covered by an insulator coating 39. Mating socket 13 is fitted with female contact 31 in the form of a split metal cylindrical sleeve.

As shown in FIG. 5, socket 13 is fitted with one tubular sleeve contact 21 of a size to mate with the groundingmale contact 31 of plug 30 and two split spring contact assemblies 22 and 23 which each individually grip about fiat male contacts 32 and 33 respectively when plug 30 is inserted into socket 13.

With the plug 30 removed from socket 13, contact assemblies 22 and 23 each act as a spring-biased switch to connect together the two metal members 59 and 61 of each contact assembly 22 and 23 so that the circuit leading from outlets l1 and 12 of box 10 or from the power line 64 of switch box 62 are completed. Introduction of the flat male contacts 32 and 33 into the socket 13 acts to separate the metal members 59 and 61 of each female socket contact assembly, with the insulated coating 39 of each male plug contact 32 and 33 serving to break the circuit through each contact assembly 22 and 23, putting the switches 37 and 38 in series respectively with the power circuits leading respectively to either outlet box 10 or to the load circuits leading from switch box 62.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, outlet box 10 is fitted with two female sockets 11 and 12 to which conventional electrical male portable line cord plugs may be attached. One female contact of each socket 1 1 and 12 is connected to a common line 15 with the other female contact of each socket connected respectively by wire 73 or 72 to contacts 59 of contact assemblies 23 and 22 respectively. Contacts 61 of contact assemblies 23 and 22 are joined in common by wires 74 and to the other power line 14 leading into outlet box 10, which is also connected by wire 71 to the contact sleeve 21.

Alternately, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, one pole of each switch 63 of switch box 62 is connected to the common power line 64, with the pole of each switch 63 being joined by a wire 75 or 74 to a contact 61 of contact assembly 22 or 23 respectively. Contact 59 of each contact assembly 22 or 23 is individually connected to a line 66 or 65 leading respectively to an indiviaual electrical load. Contact sleeve 21 is joined by wire 71 in switch box 62 to the common power line 64.

As shown in FIG. 6, the contact assemblies 22A and 23A of the socket 13A may each consist of two flat metal members 51 and 53 with a torsion spring 54 mounted against each contact member 53 to maintain contact member 53 in contact with member 51 when there is no plug 30 in the socket 13A. A lug 50 for joining to an external wire is joined to a flexible wire 56 leading to each contact member 53, and lugs 59 are fastened to each contact member 51 for joining to external wires.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A female electrical socket and a mating attachable plug for individually joining some of the electrical conductors in the socket to the conductors of the electrical plug, in which contact making device of the female socket is an assembly of two contact members that are each attachable to individual conduct wires and springbiased to contact each other except when a male contact of the plug is engaged in the contact assembly, said male contact then acting to separate the two contact members from contacting each other,

said male contact being in the form of a metal strip,

a section of which is coated with an insulating ma- 4 terial and shaped so that, when engaged, the male contact of the plug electrically contacts one of the two contact members of the contact making device of the socket and is insulated electrically from the other contact member of the assembly.

2, The combination as recited in claim 1 with the socket fixed to an electrical outlet box fitted with an electrical outlet receptaclej with a contact of said receptacle electrically connected to a contact member of a contact making device of the female socket.

3. The combination as recited in claim 2 with the male electrical plug connected by an electrical cord toan electrical switch for remote control of the electrical outlet receptacle.

4. The combination as recited in claim 1, with the socket connected to an electrical box lfitted with a switch, with each of the poles of the switch connected to one of the contact members of a said contacting making device. 

1. A female electrical socket and a mating attachable plug for individually joining some of the electrical conductors in the socket to the conductors of the electrical plug, in which contact making device of the female socket is an assembly of two contact members that are each attachable to individual conduct wires and spring-biased to contact each other except when a male contact of the plug is engaged in the contact assembly, said male contact then acting to separate the two contact members from contacting each other, said male contact being in the form of a metal strip, a section of which is coated with an insulating material and shaped so that, when engaged, the male contact of the plug electrically contacts one of the two contact members of the contact making device of the socket and is insulated electrically from the other contact member of the assembly.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1 with the socket fixed to an electrical outlet box fitted with an electrical outlet receptacle, with a contact of said receptacle electrically connected to a contact member of a contact making device of the female socket.
 3. The combination as recited in claim 2 with the male electrical plug connected by an electrical cord to an electrical switch for remote control of the electrical outlet receptacle.
 4. The combination as recited in claim 1, with the socket connected to an electrical box fitted with a switch, with each of the poles of the switch connected to one of the contact members of a said contacting making device. 